The Day of Broken Promises
by Jemzyboz
Summary: Misty is fed up with her life. Suddenly a mysteriously familiar figure appears and leads her to a magical world which would help her get her wish for her old life back. AAML story. Bad summary. Please review: I aim to be as original as possible!
1. Who's That Shadow?

**Hi everyone, this is my first fanfic so please review! Hope you will like it! This will be an AAML but I promise I will give an original and enjoyable ending.**

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_Who's that Shadow?_**  
**

After a long day of chores and facing the latest challengers, Misty Waterflower – the proud Gym Leader of Cerulean City – sat dejectedly on the edge of her vast pool. Her adorable baby, Azurill, nudged her dangling legs with its head desperate to cheer up his mother from what seemed to be an endless state of depression.

Misty thought back of the events of that day: the arrogant rookie, who was adamant he would be the first trainer to beat her in seven years, sent packing in tears. At first, the battling in honour of her city's reputation was enjoyable, exciting even, which helped hide her desire to travel and explore again. However as months became years whilst receiving no visit from her secret school-girl crush, that delight of freedom gave way to frustration to anger and then now?

Just a heavy cloud of tiredness of how monotonous her life had become.

In the beginning of her career, Misty's fiery character attracted trainers far and wide to take up her challenge. Local jealous girls whispered about her lush, shiny hair. The numerous suitors were entrapped by her enthralling, sparkly eyes and by her equally beautiful smile. But alas, the predatory emptiness steadily grew: squashing the life out of her beauty; the hair became ragged and dull; her eyes lost its mischievous and playful glint; sleep became a luxury yet there were no dreams…

Just an overwhelming darkness enclosing her mind.

* * *

Sunset approached, as the Sun sleepily inched towards its rest, casting brilliant blazing orange colours on the darkening sky. Five years back Misty would have squealed in delight at such a stunning sight but not now. She glared at the horizon with loathing disgusted that the Sun would dare reflect her long-lost dazzling hair and worse taunt her to bring back painful memories of the past she fought so hard to forget.

As she sat there musing over her misfortune, she felt a strange tingle in her spine.

"Go away Azurill! I'm not in the mood!" she shouted angrily thinking that her baby had tried to rub her back to lighten her mood.

"Azuu?" her baby asked at the other side of the pool, regarding her with confused and concerned eyes.

Misty frowned believing it must have been a figment of her imagination but as she did so, the tingle came back but a gentle warmth accompanied it this time. Naturally Misty fought it but the sensation seemed to be a comforting gesture and she relaxed into it – a function she thought her body had forgotten how to do.  
At that moment she saw something flit quickly through the gym's exit that looked remarkably like…

"No it can't be," she berated herself quietly and cast the thought aside with a vigorous shake of the head. The same silhouette flashed by again as soon as Misty dismissed it causing her to rise and investigate, the seed of annoyance inside her beginning to sprout into a small plant of irritation. Cautiously, she moved towards the doors wondering if exhaustion was starting to play tricks with her eyes.

"Azurill? Stay here and be a good boy. I'm gonna be out for a little while okay? Go to your room if I'm not back in five," she called out before slipping out to what she hoped would become a twist in her fate for something better. How true that little spark of optimism would turn out to be.

* * *

After checking that the doors were locked and the sign 'Sorry you guys! Misty the Mermaid is having a relaxing splash in the sea! See ya soon!' was hanging the right way, she warily looked around for the disturbingly familiar shadow that brought her outside. A rustle in the bushes to her left caused her to whip around to witness the mysterious figure to suddenly bound off leaving her with a flash of playful eyes.

Irritation gave way to Misty's inquisitive side as she hurried off in the direction of those enchanting eyes determined to find out who this odd shadow was and how it had managed to get in the gym previously unnoticed.

"Curiosity killed the cat," she told herself grimly but to her surprise she discovered that she did not care if this was the case. She was just so tired and bored of her life; this adventure was an opportunity to do something different, new, memorable. Joyous at the possibility of doing something fun and potentially dangerous, she set off in a more enthusiastic pursuit.

Initially Misty fretted over if she would lose sight of her prey as it seemed to lead her deeper and deeper into the forest but occasionally she saw an impatient flick of a ear behind a bush or a glow of those captivating eyes through a shrub before disappearing again. Eventually after what seemed like hours, she stumbled across a scene so breathtaking she abruptly stopped in her tracks and stared in awe.

Before her there was a beehive of activity but there was not a sense of anxiety or stress in the atmosphere but a feeling of happiness and ignorance blooming with nature's most stunning sights. Still gaping at what was before her, she walked in a daze towards the lake: the centre of the beauty. Never before in her life had she seen such pure water perfectly reflecting the silver moonlight and house so sleek and beautiful creatures. She completely forgot the reason why she was here and simply gazed at the buzz of life around her.

A flock of Swanna glided across the water leaving ripples that washed gently over Misty's shoes and a small shoal of Goldeen flitted past creating a brief but striking mixture of bright orange and white against the deep blue colour of the water. Misty had a sudden urge to stay in this spot of paradise and make most of this once in a lifetime moment, not caring if her sisters would be worried about her whereabouts. She was becoming more and more certain that she must have fallen asleep and discovered how to dream again.

As she silently pondered if this was the case, a swarm of Beautifly fluttered past leaving a trail of glittering Sleep Powder and with the combination of a cute group of Bellossom dancing a hynoptic dance to her right, Misty slowly nodded off. Her last thought was her realisation that she had forgotten to continue following the mystery-filled character.

That night for the first time in years, she dreamt.


	2. Welcome to my Humble Home

**Second chapter! Personally I don't really like this chapter but it's really just to prolong the story a bit. Misty wakes up in the same place but it doesn't seem right; what happened and where is she actually?**

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_Welcome to my Humble Home_

Upon opening her eyes, Misty immediately scrambled backwards in shock at what had appeared before her.

Where there had been previously nothing, a colossal apparition hovered above the lake. Looking more carefully through the night mist, she realised that it was, very strangely, a house floating in the midnight air. But what a house indeed! By her estimations, it had to be at least twice the size of her famously large gym: a mansion, or palace as she discovered later on, fit for a god.

Recovering from her shock, Misty became intrigued about what happened and why a very real looking building had seemly come out of nowhere defying the laws of gravity. She began to explore her immediate surroundings.

The first thing Misty noted was the air felt more vibrant and alive and that there seemed to be more moonlight than before. Glancing up at the navy sky, she saw with a gasp the moon had become full, formerly half.

"What's going on? This is becoming really weird. I must be still asleep back at the gym…" she murmured to herself. She continued to observe the small clearing she was in and with a jolt she realised that every living creature seemed to be asleep.

"How come I'm the only one awake? Even in a dream, there should be some cute Oddish running about or something." Misty frowned.

Realising that her only chance of getting a clue about the recent events would be to try to see if there was anybody at home in the mansion.

* * *

Ding. Dong. Misty waited patiently at the arched oak doors whilst looking around at the beautifully carved architecture and the fierce Pokémon statues that guarded the roof. Then, by themselves, the doors slowly swung open without making a sound. Misty tentatively took a step back suddenly unsure if this was a good idea.

"Argh! I don't care! I mean this is like my first adventure in years! What can happen in a dream anyway?" she exclaimed and strode in with what she hoped was a confident manner. A second after she did so, the doors then slammed shut with a resonating boom.

At once chandeliers flickered to life, casting dancing shadows in the corridor that Misty now stood in. She looked at them suspiciously; they looked too much like the fateful Chandelures she had been warned about as a little girl. Ignoring them and certain that they must be fakes for decoration, she continued forward.

On went the long corridor and as she walked further, Misty noticed that the house seemed to get older as if it was a growing beast: the smooth walls became peeled and holed; the patterned tiled floor became cracked and lost their polished look and with an involuntary shudder paintings became swallowed by cobwebs.

_I hope there aren't any Spinarak scuttling about. I wish this place seemed more homely like somewhere in my city… _Misty thought to herself.

At once ripples appeared in the walls and the floor initially making Misty jump in fright. The flooring transformed into a shiny artificial white surface, the walls became glass revealing aquariums full of water Pokémon blissfully swimming about. Surprised, Misty recognised herself at her favourite place in the Cerulean gym.

"Wait, I can make my surroundings whatever I want?" she said out loud. "I wish this place looked like a spooky forest!"

Straight away the same ripples appeared leaving an avenue of tall menacing trees on either side and the distant howls of Mightyena prowling the night.

Misty clapped her hands and let out a giggle: a sweet chime of joy that had captured many male hearts. However her laughter soon died in her lips when she saw that she was not all alone after all.

* * *

In the gloom, two familiar eyes stared at her. It winked once and bounded off.

"Hey! Come back here! Who are you and why do you keep appearing?" Misty called out whilst sprinting after in pursuit.

At the end of the avenue there was a T-junction in the forest's natural path. Stopping, Misty looked left and right in despair wondering where it had gone. Wishing that she chose correctly, she turned her left and sure enough she eventually heard the faint pattering of small feet further down the path.

Misty ran madly like an angered Primeape hell-bent on reaching its prey not caring that she was becoming completely lost in the natural labyrinth. Her sole thought whirling in her mind was to catch her 'stalker' and demand what was going on.

"Please… I… m-mean… no… harm… just… want… to t-talk!" she wheezed in an attempt to sound friendly. She received no response.

Confused, Misty realised that she no longer heard the other running. She slowed down to a jog and abruptly halted as a simple lone door rose out of the fog in front of her.

Confident that whoever had started this exhilarating adventure and her quarry were taking refuge behind the door, she took a deep breath and with a shaky hand turned the tarnished doorknob.


	3. A Stroke of Genie

**Hi guys, third chapter! I've realised I've pretty much just done description for the first two but this one has much more dialogue this time. Enjoy! and please review!**

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_A Stroke of Genie_

Misty looked at the sight in front of her with confusion written on her rosy face. It was not what she expected. From what she could conceive, she was back in the same mansion.

"Well this is a weird turn of events..." she muttered to herself.

With slow timid steps she walked forwards into the magnificent chamber. She cursed at how loud her footsteps echoed around the room. At the far end, a monster of a bed lay like a bloated Snorlax resting from a forest-sized meal which hid behind a shroud of beautifully interwoven silk. Somehow there seemed to be electricity in this part of the building as a huge crystal chandelier shone brilliantly, hanging from the symmetrical patterned alcove in the ceiling. She noticed that every inch of the walls were covered by bookshelves bursting with books of all sizes and age.

Looking around and spotting that there was no trace of dust or the scent of mildew in the air, she rationalised, "Well at least someone lives in this bizarre place!"

Despite herself, she was drawn towards the books intent on trying to find a clue of who the inhabitant was. Drawing a random one out, she studied the front cover.

"Biography," she said with a smirk. She took another, and frowned at its title. After deciding to go to another shelf, she realised that every book present was a life history on someone famous or ordinary; deceased or living including the future of the alive.

_Well could it be that my name might be here too? _She thought worriedly and rushed to the W-section. Not a few moments after, an unexpected foreign voice boomed out causing her to scream in terror.

* * *

**_"Welcome, Misty Waterflower of Cerulean, to my humble home," _**the voice reverberated in her mind.

Misty looked automatically left and right in an almost comical manner trying to pinpoint the source of the sudden intrusion in the silence.

After failing to find out who had spoken, she yelled as defiantly as she could muster, "Why do you know my name and what do you want with me you weirdo?" whilst continually sweeping the chamber with her eyes for any disturbances or movement.

**_"Well I am just your average Wish-Maker," _**the same voice chuckled in a gentler tone.** _"I sincerely apologize for scaring you Miss Waterflower, I just don't like others touching my things," _**it added. _Was there a smirk in there?_

Misty however remained suspicious, refusing to let the benevolent emotions radiating from the voice affect her. She felt that old familiar fighting spirit within her rekindle. She was not going to let her guard down and give in without a battle no matter what she was against.

**_"Would it help if I revealed myself?"_**the voice continued seeming to have noticed her hesitant yet distrustful nature.

Taken aback at this comment, she managed "Well... duh."

The bed curtains slowly drew apart leaving two figures. Both what Misty had mistook for a pair of dolls. Well one did look like a shiny doll and the other...

Misty gasped, sick when she finally recognised the familiar figure she had been chasing the past several hours.

Misty found herself screeching in fury as the little doll's expression transformed from a friendly grin to a hint of fear at the intimidating redhead, "What are you doing with her? You kidnapped Ash's Pikachu you sick whatever you are!"

The doll having realised what had caused Misty's infamous temper to flare attempted to calm her down.

"No. Don't you go anywhere near me Mister Pokénapper. You wanna kidnap me too? Well you're gonna get –"

**_"Please, please. This isn't the Pikachu you're familiar with. I wanted something that seemed vaguely recognizable to get you here so we could get acquainted! Here, let me show you."_**

And with that the Pikachu's form wavered and changed to an exact replica of the doll to an image of Misty then to…

"Okay, okay," Misty said not wanting to look at the latest transformation of a dark-haired, dense-looking male figure: it brought too many painful memories, "You've proved your point. What is it you want?"

**_"Why! For us to have a little chat of course!"_ **the doll exclaimed. At this point Misty realised it had not opened its little mouth at all yet.

"A-are you some sort of psychic Pokémon?" Misty asked beginning to calm down. _A Pokémon without a master couldn't be evil. _She reassured herself. There didn't seem to be any trace of human activity, as far as Misty was aware.

**_"Why thank you Miss Waterflower. I am glad you don't find me wicked. That wouldn't be nice at all if you thought otherwise!" _**

_Yup. Definitely psychic. And you can call me Misty._

**_"Good, good. We've reached the pleasantries stage! You may call me Jirachi," _**Jirachi replied with a bit of sarcasm at first.

"What, the Pokémon Genie from Aladdin?" Misty snorted even more certain that she was dreaming if she was meeting a Legendary in person.

**_"Suppose you could think of me like that,"_** Jirachi mused with a cheeky sparkle in its eyes. **_"And of course you're dreaming! Your physical body is back in the real world. I suppose one can call my kingdom the Dreamworld."_**

"So… um… what did you want to talk about?" Misty mumbled, suddenly feeling awkward at having a conversation with a Wishing Pokémon in a dream.

* * *

Jirachi patted the spot next to it gesturing for Misty to sit down.

"Nuh huh, I'm not gonna go anywhere near him. Even if he's not real," she pointed at the illusion who at this point was regarding her with his trademark annoying grin.

Jirachi sighed and the illusion transformed.

Misty's eyes grew large and shimmered with unspoken delight. She quickly covered her gaping mouth with her hands. Before her a little pink squid regarded her with impossibly wide innocent eyes.

"Omigod! It's so freaking cute!" Misty squealed rushing forwards to hug the bewildered looking baby Pokémon illusion.

**_"Knew that Inkay would do the trick,"_** Jirachi chortled to no one in particular.

Misty regarded Jirachi with a bit more warmth in her eyes; most of the hostility she had projected had vanished. The unfortunate Inkay was trapped in her cuddling arms.

**_"Okay. Where to start… Misty, remember that night you were with Azurill and Psyduck on your roof looking up at the stars?"_**

"How on Earth did you know about that?" Misty stared at Jirachi incredulously. Of course she remembered that night.

* * *

_It was quite a few years back. Misty lay on the still warm yellow roof with her two Pokémon. _

_"Psyduck and Azurill, remember that boy I always talked about?" Misty breathed dreamily._

_"Psy-i?"_

_"Azuu?"_

_They stared at her with confused eyes. Misty groaned inwardly. Of course they wouldn't remember. Psyduck was too dopey to notice his surroundings and Azurill was only a hatchling when he met him. Oh well, at least it would be easier to discuss it with them._

_"Well it's been at least a year since we last spoke. Strike that, a few years," she continued. "I don't know if he remembers me anymore and if he does he must have lied about his promise to see me again let alone be with me."_

_She sighed mournfully. The Pokémon, including Psyduck, felt her sadness and tried to give her a comforting gesture. Psyduck an awkward hug and Azurill brushed her tears away with his tail._

_"Thanks guys," she sniffled. "I wish that I could be back in his arms and hear him tell me what he truly thought about me that day. Wouldn't that be nice?"_

_At that moment, in the peripheral vision she saw a bright object race across the dim sky._

_"Ooh look! A shooting star! Who knows? Maybe my wish will come true!" Misty gave her two companions a shaky smile._

* * *

"Except that wish never came true…" Misty said gloomily.

**"Ahem,"** Jirachi cleared his throat. **_"I am the Wish-Maker, am I not? And for your information, at night the Dreamworld is at its most active state. Why else is it always night-time here?"_**

"Y-you heard?" Misty stuttered; she suddenly looked horrified.

**"Oh! No no, I only listen when someone wishes for something,"** Jirachi rushed hastily believing that Misty thought he was breaching her privacy every night whilst temporarily forgetting to read her mind for the real reason for her horror.

"Nah it's not that," Misty reassured the stricken Legendary. "It's just that I don't want you to force him to fall in love with me."

**_"Oh! That's not a problem. I'm bound by laws you know; I can't interfere with free will! Anyway you two are one of my favourite stories in my library!"_** Jirachi clapped a little hand over its mouth realising that he said too much and fearing the short-tempered girl to wallop him on the head.

"Uh… thanks," Misty huffed.

After that Jirachi and Misty chatted. Jirachi told her that unlike the popular rumours, he could not teleport her to another location but assured her wish would come true but after a natural set of events. After a few hours, Inkay began to squirm, wanting its freedom and had to, unfortunately for Misty, turn into water to escape.

**_"So remember that patience will get you what you want and also remember what I told you. Be there before he arrives and go get him girl,"_** Jirachi winked to a sopping wet Misty.

"Thank you Jirachi!" Misty gushed back to her benefactor with a happy twinkle in her cerulean coloured eyes. At once the chamber and Jirachi slowly faded away and Misty felt herself pleasantly drifting through the air back to her sleeping form outside the mansion.

* * *

Misty awoke to the sounds of furious cawing in her left ear.

"Go away Spearow," she grumbled at the hopping bird as she yawned. She was back in front of the lake: a startling orange hue from the sun peeking out behind Mount Moon.

In the distance, she could hear her three sisters calling her name frantically in the woods. Rising wearily, she felt her damp clothes.

_Maybe it wasn't just any dream after all…_

She smiled to herself and responded to her sister's pleas.

After all, she was just in a too good mood for an Officer Jenny lecture.

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**Author's note: This chapter's a bit longer. I noticed chapters one and two were very short. Hope a longer chapter was better!**

**Jirachi has always reminded me of a doll. And for any old-school readers, he's a psychic Pokémon that grants wishes and sleeps most of the time in the Dreamworld. (If this information is wrong, it's because I haven't kept up to date with Pokémon since Misty left lol). Inkay is a Kalos Pokémon! And even though I'm a guy, Inkay looks kinda cute.**


	4. A Good Day to Cry

**Hi! Chapter Four is out! I'm really pleased with this chapter. I think it's my best one. I'm slowly getting the hang of writing! I'll be editing the earlier chapters for grammar/spelling. Thanks for all the support and carry on reviewing!**

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_A Good Day to Cry_

_A few weeks ago…_

Sitting on a lone smooth stone, a lone boy in his late teens sat looking out to the sparkling sea. In his hand he held a little object hidden from prying eyes. Such eyes would be from the people following him around and his so called 'travelling companions'.

_The bastards, _he thought bitterly. He was tired of his life. He didn't want to travel the world anymore. There wasn't a single real human friend he had left with him. He only had two: a certain beautiful girl and a wise older man he saw as a brother. The former taken cruelly away and the latter had decided he had enough.

He sighed wistfully and studied the figurine in his hand again. He missed them. Especially the girl. He still wasn't so sure about what he had felt that day when she left. Was it grief that his first best friend was gone? Was it the first stirrings of love in his heart? Was it fear that he would be left alone for the first time to the wishes of his dictatorial 'employers'?

Over the years, every day, he had thought back to that fateful day. Originally he had the suspicion that it was a set-up. A set-up to make him more focused on his job. A set-up to swallow the light in his pitch-black tunnel so they, his superiors, could control him for their own success and audience. That suspicion grew into certainty; certainty of they had taken her away on purpose. They did not tell him but he knew. He knew now that romantic attraction was undesirable for his audience that he also loathed too; there was no other reason for why they tricked him and his friend that she had to urgently return home.

He should have realised that it was a ploy when her sisters phoned. He should have smashed her bike again when he had the chance.

He dearly wanted to phone her to come back but as soon as he went to Hoenn, someone during the ferry trip had switched his mobile for another. Every phone in a Pokémon Centre had her number blocked prior to him arriving. It was impossible to contact her. They knew his every move. They were always watching.

"God, I hate them," Ash Ketchum moaned out loud.

"Pikapi?" a little voice squeaked behind him. Ash turned around and gave his loyal friend a brave yet wobbly smile. _At least they didn't take him away. I wouldn't have been able to bear it. Perhaps those kids liked him. Pikachu couldn't have done any harm for the company's reputation._

"Oh Pikachu," Ash murmured softly, "I miss her." He indicated the figurine in his hand.

"Pikachupi?" Pikachu asked.

"Yes, her," he looked at his oldest Pokémon friend with brown eyes filled with emotion. "I wish that I could have her in my arms so I can tell her what I really wanted to say to her back then."

"Pi," Pikachu attempted to comfort his friend with a pat on his back.

"Thanks buddy but you know our other companions?" Ash continued. He wanted to bring out all the misery, anger and loneliness holed up in his heavy heart; it had been there for too long. He needed to confide in a friend. "May. Max. Dawn. Iris. Cilan. They were all picked by our managers. They were either much younger than I was or they were here just for the money. There's no-one that I can become close to. It's all pretend!"

After his small rant, he looked down sadly at his hand again.

"Pi-ka-chuu," Pikachu settled down next to his friend also affected by the depressed mood. His ears drooped and joined in staring at the gentle water washing up and down the beach.

"Wanna know why I came here?" Ash winked to Pikachu. Pikachu stared at him blankly. "Water! Don't you see?"

Pikachu face-palmed._ Great. Now he's got from being obsessed to being plain weird._

"Don't you remember? It… it re-reminds me of her…" Ash broke down and finally let the tears win the battle.

Pikachu was shocked. Ash rarely cried. He knew he missed her but he had kept it to himself. Before today, he believed that maybe finally he had moved on. He had not mentioned her at all during their travels in Unova yet now he was crying his heart out for someone they had not seen for years.

He clambered up to his shoulder and rubbed his face against his to brush away the tears.

"Thanks Pi-Pikachu," Ash sniffed beginning to calm down. He absent-mindedly scratched the back of his ears.

"Ash! Ash! Come on already! You've been sitting there long enough! Time to go back to your hometown already! It's the last part before Cilan and I can finally quit!" Iris suddenly yelled after half an hour conversing with Cilan over how much money they had made spending those few years with Ash.

"I'm coming," Ash grumbled back. "C'mon Pikachu, we've got to see them off. I wonder what country we're going to be told to spend the next few years in…" Ash trailed off thinking about how long it would be before he was allowed to retire and live a quiet life.

As he pushed himself up off the sand, he thought he saw something drift through the blue sky. He squinted and then wished that he had not for it was a cloud shaped in a familiar face taunting him.

_I made a promise to you. I promised I would come back for you and that we would be back together._

_ I made a promise to myself. I promised that one day I'll tell you how much you meant to me. _

_I'm sorry I failed you. I'm sorry I failed myself. Please forgive me Misty…_

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**Well that was Chapter Four ladies and gentlemen! Decided that it was time to change POV to Ash's. By the way, PokéstarTheZylar has an awesome fanfic, called The Misplaced Sands of Time and Space, which is more original than mine. Really recommend it 'cause I love it!**

******P.S. I had a few complaints that this chapter is a bit random! I wanted to make Ash's feelings and emotions behind the scenes visible and to reach out to everyone at his misery that Misty isn't here. I'll develop his confusion and anger in the next chapter and make everything clearer soon!**


	5. An Unexpected Visitor

**Hello! Pokéshipping Day today! I wanted to upload this earlier but was waiting for it to be beta read but she hasn't been online for ages! (WAAA PokestarTheZylar!) So here it is! This chapter is perfect for today as you'll see! Sorry I put seven years, I know it's actually been 11, but for the sake of this story, it's 7. Pokémon world time is slower than ours anyway!**

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_An Unexpected Visitor_

_A few weeks into arriving at Kalos…_

"All right, Pangoro, buddy! Sucker punch!" Ash commanded with false enthusiasm and watched as his huge Fighting Panda bear gave out a fierce punch to a little red hamster before it could charge up its Thundershock attack.

At that moment Ash felt something snap in his head. A red mist descended upon his vision. He had finally grasped what this day was and signified which had been nagging in the back of his mind all day long. Ash looked up at his opponent with an intimidating fiery rage burning in his normally warm brown eyes; his cap casting his face in shadow to give a leer causing her to falter. Today of all days was not a good day for some puny Trainer to challenge him. He no longer cared if it was a prearranged battle or if she was a genuine Trainer unlucky enough to have crossed paths with him; he wanted to let it all out.

"Okay! Whilst it's recovering, I want you to give it a taste of your Hammer Arm!" Ash continued in a harsh tone - his face an indifferent expression.

Pangoro growled in response and leapt into the air, both its arms raised up above its head, and proceeded to smash its two basketball sized fists on the unfortunate Chespin with a determined roar of "Go-RO!"

The bear slowly got back on his feet leaving the effects of its devastating signature attack visible. Though the hamster was resistant to both attacks, the sheer power of Pangoro was too much and it had fainted in a crater the shape of its little body. Ash's opponent shakily held up her Pokéball and recalled her Pokémon; her facial expression a mixture of horror and dismay at the brutal efficiency and swiftness Ash had unleashed to bring the battle to an abrupt close.

Ash regarded his cruel handiwork with a sneer. Why should he care? Today was the seventh anniversary. Seven was supposed to be a lucky number. He wasn't feeling lucky at all, all his friends were gone a long time ago to be replaced again by more idiots soon. Another few years putting up with another little kid and an annoying girl that had followed him all around primary school? He really should –

"Aaaaah!" he yelled as a bolt of electricity coursed through his twenty-three year old body. "Pikachu, what the hell?"

"PIKA-PIKACHU! PI CHA!" Pikachu retorted giving his friend a glare.

"First of all, don't swear. Secondly, do you realise what today is?" Ash shot back.

"Chu?" Pikachu questioned, his fury dissolving a little to be replaced with a hint of curiosity.

"It's the day Misty was tricked into leaving us back in Viridian City!" Ash cried throwing his hands into the air to emphasize his point. Ash, not bothering to see Pikachu's reaction, trudged in the direction of the tower in Lumiose City, his head down.

"C'mon, Pikachu. It's time for us to get 'kicked out' of the Prism Tower." Ash mumbled suddenly ashamed at his loss of temper at the rookie trainer. After all, it wasn't _her_ who was responsible for Misty's departure from his life.

* * *

In the distance, two blonde figures stared petrified at the scene of Ash stomping off to their home with Pikachu bounding after him and the crying girl running past them: their wide blue eyes shining with undisguised fear like a pair of Stantler caught in the headlights of an approaching car.

"He's scary, Clemont! They told us that he was a nice guy!" The younger of the two whimpered to her older brother.

"Yes, I know, sweetie. They paid us good money and we need it if we're to keep the gym running. Besides I think it's just for show, Bonnie. I'm sure he's really a big cuddly Teddiursa!" Clemont replied in an attempt to comfort his distraught sibling but however seemed to be trying to convince himself that it was the case.

Bonnie detected the false cheeriness in her brother's tone and buried her head in his shirt imagining the crazy guy, that they were to spend the next few years with, to be a teddy bear sucking its thumb.

* * *

The sparkling new reception in the tower was pretty impressive according to Ash causing his furious stride and brooding mind to waver as he looked around at the warm comfortable room. His frown came instantly back when he noticed a determined looking man marching briskly towards him.

"Sir, we wish to speak to you about what happened earlier. It gives us bad publicity and thank god it wasn't live," the man spoke laying a hand on Ash's shoulder. "We do not tolerate such –"

"Get off me!" Ash snarled, whipping around to give the man a harsh scowl whilst roughly shrugging the intruding hand off. The man gawped at the hostile figure stomping off in the wrong direction and discreetly spoke a few words into his radio.

"Aww crap!" Ash grumbled after walking, by accident, into a restaurant somewhere on the third level. He then backtracked and discovered himself opening the door to the men's toilets a few moments later.

"Where were we supposed to go again?" Ash asked a very disgruntled Pikachu.

"PIKA!" Pikachu retorted, giving his friend a good zapping then continued to point his paw back to the direction of the reception.

"Jesus, Pikachu! There was no need for that especially with the retard insults!" Ash howled after the annoyed yellow mouse. Ash shook his head in a vain attempt to let his crackling hair down and sprinted after his little friend.

"Huh," Ash muttered to himself, "Trust a Pokémon to have a better knowledge of where we need to be."

* * *

Once the two had found their way back to the reception, Ash asked cautiously, "Alright Pikachu, you're sure it's the right door? We're supposed to go to a room with electricity everywhere," Ash recoiled at Pikachu's '_Are you an idiot?_' hard gaze.

"Okay, okay," Ash said hurriedly, not wanting another electric shock, "I'm just as frustrated as you are, buddy. I don't want another threat of another two months without seeing Mum and Mimey 'cause we're late either, you know."

At that moment, a slender stressed-out young woman brushed past Ash reaching for the door handle.

"Sorry, mister but I'm really late for somebody. I don't want to miss him," she apologized hurriedly in a sing-song voice whilst allowing him briefly to see her worried face.

Ash made no reply. He stared at her; his eyes agog and jaw agape in wonderment and surprise. The woman frowned back at his strange reaction and flinched as the weird man roughly grabbed her wrist.

"M-misty… Is-is it re-really you?" Ash stammered.

* * *

**Yeah so as you can see, they meet again but a bit unexpectedly! WOOO! To be honest, I prefer drawing but I'm beginning to enjoy writing. I'm planning of writing another AAML story but focusing just on Misty.**

**I guess most of you are fans of Ash's new travelling companions. Clemont looks awesome but I just found Bonnie really annoying straight away lol. (That's my opinion).**

**I also am a bit wary of Serena. She seems cool but I didn't like the way Nintendo focused on her a lot... Plus I saw some screenshots of her giving Ash a handkerchief and them holding hands. I think Nintendo are trying to delete Misty completely and replace her with Serena for Ash's affections :/ but hey I might be wrong! Review or PM to tell me what you think about all of this!**

**Oh guess you're wondering why he has a Pangoro. Let's say he got it as a present from... uh... Bruno for consistent well placed ranks in the Pokémon leagues! I dunno lol. Pangoro looks cool!**


End file.
